Scenes from the gender wars part II: Pimpslap

[the_siobhan]

So if you aren't a gamer, or don't know any gamers, or never hang around in places where gamers talk, there is a slight possibility you might not have heard of White Wolf's new card game, Pimp: The Backhanding.

Obviously it has generated an awful lot of commentary. Those who hate it protest on the grounds that it is racists, sexist and degrading. Those who defend it say, "It's just a game." LJDrama, that turkey vulture that lives off the roadkill of the internet, did a segment on it.

My opinion on the game? It's stupid. Seriously seriously stupid. It's a one-punchline joke, and it's not even an original punchline. My first impression when I somebody pointed it out to me was that it had to be a parody. My second thought was that the person who wrote it had played GTA once and thought, "Hey it's got hookers. And you can run over them in your car! That's hilarious! I bet I could write a game about offing hookers!"

Except that GTA, whatever you think of the violence and the odious negative stereotypes, also managed to be entertaining. There are legions of comedians who know that you can get away with a whole lot of offensive if you are genuinely funny while you are doing it. And P:TB just isn't funny.

My opinon of the controversy: Well, I'm not personally offended, although I can completely get why some people are. I think it's sick and stupid but I just happen to be more the type to roll my eyes and hope that it bombs horribly in sales. However, I have read some of the responses that people have received to their emails to White Wolf. And regardless of whether or not I am offended by the product, I would seriously reconsider giving any of my money to any company who thought that insulting and patronizing potential constumers was a good way to do business.

There are some people in the industry of writing and creating games who have LJs and who have offered their two cents on the matter, cavalorn has a few people listed here. Most of them are way more articulate than I am, and they definitely know the industry better. Actually I have to give a lot of credit to people who work in the industry and will still state their opinions, it's a small job-pool and it says something to be willing to stick your neck out.

My opinion on what to do about it: Generating controversy is just generating publicity. If they are creating something as offensive as possible in the hopes that it will get their name back into the public eye, then the last thing you want to do is give them any more time in the spotlight.

On the other hand... a friend of mine who works for videogame companies tells me that White Wolf is owned by Wizards of the Coast. I looked around the website, the connection isn't explictly mentioned, but all the White Wolf properties are mentioned on Wizards copywrite page.

Anybody out there who can confirm or deny? Because if it is the case, it just might be a lot more productive to complain to their boss.

Comments

[kudzu.livejournal.com]

I can confirm. I used to work for WOTC.

[mrph.livejournal.com]

I wasn't aware that WOTC owned WW - I know that they licenced some of the D&D stuff (Ravenloft etc) to White Wolf, but I thoought that was the extent of the connection.

If it is the case, note that WOTC are themselves owned by family-friendly games company Hasbro...

...and just to say...

[mrph.livejournal.com]

Not to contradict annotated_alex, but that copyright page (assuming it was this (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=company/websitelegalnotice) one?) is a little misleading. The White Wolf terms there are listed because WOTC publish the trading card games based on Vampire/Werewolf etc, a publishing deal which dates back to the days before WOTC bought TSR.

Re: ...and just to say...

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

That's the one. I knew about the licencing deal, but any googling I've done hasn't really come up with any other connection. So I figured I'd throw it out here.

Re: ...and just to say...

[fudjo.livejournal.com]

WotC didn't publish Rage, the Werewolf-based ccg. White Wolf did that one themselves (as well as Arcadia: The Wyldhunt, the Changeling-based ccg).

WotC did publish Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (also known as Jyhad), the Vampire-based ccg. Several years later, WotC and White Wolf did what amounted to a license swap, and now White Wolf publishes V:TES but pays royalties to WotC for the game mechanics and WotC-related copyrights (the Deckmaster copyring, specifically, I believe).

WotC most definitely does not own White Wolf. Hasbro, however, owns WotC. Hasbro also owns Avalon Hill (so they could get the Civilization license), and I believe Hasbro is printing Avalon Hill games under the WotC banner.

With respect to response to emails by White Wolf to those complaining about Pimp, the person responding was Conrad Hubbard, their sysadmin, and not the president of the company (Mike Tinney, who made a public statement in their web forums in response to customer complaints) or any of the marketing or public relations people. Why Hubbard took it upon himself to speak on behalf of the company instead of letting those whose job it is to do that sort of thing do it is beyond me, but it reinforces my belief that sysadmins should never be allowed to interact with clients or the public. Never mind the fact that I'm a former syadmin who is now working in a role where I interact with clients and the public all the time. ;)

[inulro.livejournal.com]

I've heard of this because Ian Sturrock serpentstar discussed it in his LJ and provided a link to another commentary at one point, both of which are far more articulate on the subject than I could be.

[eciklb.livejournal.com]

*blink*

*blink*

Wow, I'd totally missed that he was on LJ.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

There are *tons* of old a.g people here. Bloodstone just showed up on my flist out of the blue.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

I wasn't aware WOTC owned White Wolf at all.

I would also like to point out LJDrama offers us the variant spelling:
hoes
when it should be
Ho's
in the vernacular.

:)

[fudjo.livejournal.com]

WotC does _not_ own White Wolf.